


My Best Friend

by DutchInsanity



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, The Marauders - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-12
Updated: 2017-06-17
Packaged: 2018-09-17 01:07:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,372
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9297482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DutchInsanity/pseuds/DutchInsanity





	1. Chapter 1

A warm summer day found James Potter and Sirius Black aimlessly wandering the large empty halls of Hogwarts. It was late morning and the boys had just woken. They'd both decided it was much too nice a day to sit in a classroom and had gone off in search of entertainment elsewhere. Entertainment that didn’t seem to show up until an angry yell interrupted their stroll.  

"POTTER!" James turned, mouth splitting into a grin the second he recognized the voice.  

Y/N Y/L/N, one of his oldest and closest friends was walking toward them. The pair had come to Hogwarts together, their families being very close. They'd known each other since birth.  

"Y/L/N," James replied, smiling widely despite her angry expression.  

"Y/N, why do you look like you want to kill us." Sirius sighed, shooting her a cheeky grin and a wink.  

"You wankers skipped potions. I had to pair up with  _Snivellus,_ " She made a disgusted face as she came to a stop before them. "I mean yeah he got me a decent grade but- stop laughing!" She whined, pouting as both boys broke out in loud laughter. "This is a serious issue! I could be contaminated  _for life_!"  

James took pity on the girl and slung an arm around her shoulder. "My apologies, fair maiden." He snickered. "Pads forgot to wake up and I was enjoying myself too much to sit in a dank old dungeon for an hour." The three continued down the hall, no destination in mind, simply enjoying each other's company.  

"By that, he means dropping worms in my mouth," Sirius grumbled, scrunching his face up in disgust.  

"Oh, Godric I didn't actually think he'd do it!" Y/N gasped, hands covering her mouth in shock.  

"IT WAS YOUR IDEA?!" Sirius cried, "OH THE BETRAYAL! I AM HURT! I AM SHOCKED AND HURT! Y/N I'm terminating our friendship. We're no longer friends until lunchtime."  

"You're dramatic is what you are." Y/N snickered, cuddling into James while they walked. James stumbled, his heartbeat thudding in his ears. He put it down to the fact that he'd skipped breakfast. "James is the one that did it, all I said was that worms are full of nutrients."  

"Liar," James said. "You said, and I quote, 'James, you know how worms are full of nutrients? You should get Sirius to eat some, I'm almost certain it won't kill him.'"  

"ALMOST CERTAIN IT WON'T KILL HIM!?" Sirius yelled in outrage. "You two are a danger to society." He muttered, walking along in silence, refusing to look at either of them.  

"I think we may have offended him Jamesie." Y/N whispered loudly. James rolled his eyes at the childhood nickname but played along.  

"I think you're right Y/N/N." He teased, using his old nickname for her. His breath hitched when she looked up at him with the smile she reserved only for him.  

" _I_ think you're both incredibly annoying," Sirius said.  

"Well now you're just being mean," Y/N complained. "James is far more irritating than me."  

* * *

 

_What is happening to me_? James thought, head resting in his palm as he stared at Y/N across the room.  

She was having some kind of whispered argument with Remus. He could tell by the way her forehead creased as it always did when she was frustrated. He could see how she used her hands a lot as she talked, something she only did when she was arguing with someone. Professor Binns was droning on about giant wars but James was barely paying attention, his mind running haywire with thoughts of his best friend.  

How the weak sunlight filtering into the room landed perfectly on her Y/H/C hair, making her look like an angel. How, when she laughed, it lit up her whole face. How his heartbeat went mental every time she did something cute.  

She noticed his gaze and pulled a face that made him laugh aloud, interrupting the classroom's silent atmosphere. If Binns noticed the interruption he didn't let on, not once faltering in his lecture. Y/N giggled quietly at the looks James was receiving from his classmates and gave him an innocent smile in response to his glare.  

"What's so funny?" Sirius whispered, idly twirling his quill between his fingers in his boredom.  

"Nothing." James sighed, a small smile playing on his lips. "Y/N being Y/N."  

Sirius muttered something to Peter who snickered and whispered his reply. "Wormtail says you're being weird."  

"Wormtail can bugger off," James whispered absentmindedly, pulling a face when he caught Y/N's eye and grinning proudly when she burst into laughter.  

"Miss Y/L/N and Mr. Potter, are we interrupting you?" Professor Binns said, seeming incredibly annoyed that he'd had to stop his speech.  

"Sorry, sir," James replied with a charming smile.  

"Yes, sir." Y/N said at the same time, packing away her things. "If you don't mind, we'll be going so that we don't interrupt your interesting lecture again. I wouldn't want to spoil everyone else's lesson just because James and I are being clotpoles."  

With that she was out the door, James grinning madly as he gathered his things and chased her out, heart beating wildly and adrenaline thrumming through his veins.  

* * *

 

Hours later, the sun had long since set and the Marauders were the only ones left in the Gryffindor common room. They were all crowded around the fireplace, laughing at Sirius' recount of what had happened after Y/N and James ran out of class.  

"-second you left!" Sirius paused to laugh. "Binns was so furious! He stood there a full five minutes before he knew what to say! Even then it just came out as some kind of gibberish!"  

The four descended into fits of laughter at Sirius' impression of Professor Binns. When he'd finished he took a bow and collapsed back into his armchair beside the fire.  

"Y/N you're incredible. Slughorn had a proper laugh when he walked past and saw Binns like that." Lupin snickered, looking at the girl approvingly where she lay cuddled up beside James.  

"Where do you think James learned it all?" Y/N said, laughing when James tickled her sides in protest.  

"She's lying, I taught her everything she knows." He said defiantly.  

"James everyone knows that's not true." Y/N giggled, laying her head on his shoulder. James shifted uncomfortably, heart picking up speed again as her arms wrapped around him and she let out a massive yawn.  

He barely registered Lupin and Y/N talking, eyes fixed on the curling orange flames as he tried to distract himself.  

"James!"  

"What?" He looked at Peter, who lay on the armchair beside Sirius.  

"I asked you if you were okay," Sirius said. It was then that James realized that everyone was watching him, and Y/N... She'd turned toward him, pouting as she did when she was worried. Her mesmerizing Y/E/C eyes watching him. She was  _so close_. All he would have to do is move his head a few centimeters and they'd be kissing...  

"I'm fine." He said, turning his head away from her. "Just tired."  

Sirius and Peter shrugged it off and fell into a conversation about some prank they were hoping to pull on a few Slytherins. Remus smiled knowingly and watched James for a few seconds before joining the conversation. Y/N slipped her hand into his, as she'd always done when she was worried about him, before turning her attention to the other boys.  

James tried to pay attention to what his friends were saying but kept finding himself distracted by the way Y/N traced her thumb across his skin. Every time she moved, even slightly, he was reminded of just how close she was, how warm she was, how her laugh made his mind go haywire. Whenever he spoke and her full attention fell on him it took everything he had to keep his thoughts in line.  

* * *

 

Y/N gasped and woke up, blinking away tears in the dark room. Nightmares usually didn't affect her but this one had been terrible. As the memory of the dream stayed fresh in her mind more tears began streaming down the girl's cheeks and she began sobbing into her pillow.  

_James.._  She thought, wanting to feel the safety of his hugs more than anything.  

Eventually, she gathered the courage to slip from the warmth of her bed. Her toes came into contact with the cold stone floor and she shivered. After replacing her pajama shirt with a large sweater that covered her shorts and kept her warm, she snuck out of her shared room.  

She tiptoed downstairs, jumping at every slight noise and dark shadow. The fire had gone out hours ago and the common room had become a dark, cold, foreboding place filled with menacing shadows.  

Y/N steadied her breath and crept up the staircase to the boys' dormitories. When she finally reached the right door she snuck in quietly and stood at the entrance, listening to the sounds of the Marauders' heavy breathing.  

She could pick out James' slow breaths easily and followed the sound to his bed. Moonlight spilled in through a crack in the curtains, lighting James' sleeping face in a silvery glow. His messy black hair drooping over his forehead endearingly, his lips parted slightly as breath rushed in and out of his lungs.  

"Jamesie?" She whispered, shaking his shoulder.  

He mumbled a response and snuggled down into his pillow.  

" _James_!" She hissed insistently and his eyes opened lazily.  

"Y/N/N?" He studied her moonlit face and frowned when he saw the still-wet tears on her cheeks. "Nightmare?" He whispered.  

She nodded and he lifted the blankets wordlessly. Y/N clambered in beside him and James caught a glimpse of her bare legs and how her shorts barely covered anything. She fitted her body against his, wrapping an arm around his waist, tangling their legs together and burying her face into his chest; James mentally swore in every language he knew.  

Soon enough Y/N was fast asleep once again, arms tightening around James, fingers brushing against the exposed skin at his waist. Her sweater had ridden up way too high for James' liking, yet not high enough to reveal anything.  

It was driving him crazy.  _She_ was driving him crazy. He wanted nothing more than to run his hands over her legs, to wake her up by kissing every inch of her body... He closed his eyes and forced himself to think about anything  _but_  her.  

It was going to be a long night...  

* * *

 

_"James," Y/N sighed, a breathy moan falling from her mouth as his lips roamed her neck. Her legs tightened around his hips, hands sliding up his back to tangle in his hair. She tugged slightly at his dark locks and the feeling drove him crazy._   

_"Y/N." He groaned, hands slipping under her shirt and caressing her soft skin..._   

Golden light filtered into the room, a beam of sunlight bearing down on James' closed eyes as his dream slowly faded away. He was painfully aware of his problem downstairs, the rude light that had woken him and the hushed voices and laughter coming from somewhere above him.  

But his head was resting on something incredibly soft and his arms were wrapped around something warm and smooth. James could really see no reason to move from this incredibly comfortable spot and he did his best to ignore the interruptions, hoping to get back to his dream.  

He smiled softly and nuzzled down into his pillow which just caused the not so quiet laughter to increase. Irritated at whoever was interrupting his peace, James opened his eyes to glare at the intruder.  

Sirius, Remus, and Peter all stood around James' bed, laughing quietly at the scene.  

James looked down and realized that his pillow wasn't exactly a pillow as much as a person.  

Y/N.  

Or more specifically, Y/N's chestal region. His arms had been wrapped around her waist and she lay sprawled out on his bed, fast asleep. Her sweater was still annoyingly high up on her stomach and it took a great deal of effort for James to avert his eyes. Flashes of his dream came back to him and James shook his head, desperately trying to distract himself.  _Snivellus, vomit, a hairy man's arse._   

"What's all this then?" Peter teased, laughing when James glared at him.  

"Bugger off you lot. It's not like she's never slept here before." James snapped, desperately trying to ignore the embarrassed blush in his cheeks and the annoying problem in his pants.  

"Yes but we've never found you two in such an... interesting position before," Sirius said with a barked laugh.  

"Fks sake he toll yew ter piss off." Y/N grumbled, turning away from the light and pulling the sheets over her head. James' heart did a flip in his chest at how adorable she looked and he hastened to untangle himself from the sheets, falling from the bed in the process. The surrounding boys broke out into more laughter at his expense and Y/N groaned at how loud they were being.  

"Oh get out if you're gonna be gits about it." James snapped, standing to his feet grabbing some clothes. "I'm off, need a shower." He muttered before fleeing from the room and from Y/N.

* * *

 

James spent that day avoiding Y/N whenever he could, and simply ignoring her when he couldn't. There was no way he would be able to look her in the eyes and  _not_  think about his dream.  

He had to do something about this... There was no way he could avoid her forever. That was how he found himself walking alone with Remus along the shore of the Black Lake. Both boys were silent as they walked, the only sound being the crunch of the ground underneath their feet and the water lapping quietly at the beach.  

"Prongs, why did you bring me out here?" Remus finally asked, coming to a stop and staring at his friend curiously.  

"I...." James faltered, looking out across the water as he gathered the courage to speak. "I need to talk to you about something."  

"You already told me that," Remus said patiently, head tilted to the side, green eyes watching his friend intently.  

"Could you please not look at me," James whispered, "it's making me nervous."  

Remus frowned but turned to look out over the lake. "What's the problem?"  

James closed his eyes, took a deep breath and let the words spill out. "I had a weird dream about Y/N and now I think I want to be more than friends with her but I really don't but at the same time she's perfect and beautiful and she makes me feel things I don't understand. What do I do?"  

Remus blinked a few times, mulling over what he'd just heard. "I know." He said with a massive grin.  

"What do you mean you know?!"  

"I've known all along"  

"Know  _what_?"  

"You're so in love with her." Remus snickered, meeting James' wide-eyed stare.  

"I'm not in love with her, it's  _Y/N_  for cripes' sake!" James protested, running his hands through his hair in panic.  

"Well, what would you call it then?"  

"…..hormones?"  

Remus threw his head back and laughed. "Whatever you say Prongs." He shook his head and started walking back toward the castle, leaving James alone as the cold wind started picking up.  

* * *

 

**One Week Later**

James lay in his usual spot on the couch in the Gryffindor common room, legs up on the seat and basically taking up the entire couch. He was holding the Daily Prophet, studiously staring at the same word for the past half hour. He was too distracted to focus on anything right now.  

Something heavy landed on his stomach and he groaned, dropping the paper to glare at whatever dared interrupt his reading.  

Y/N. Of course, it had to be Y/N. She looked down at him with an almost amused smile.  

"You've been avoiding me." She demanded. "Why?"  

James closed his eyes and let his head fall back on the armrest. He knew this was coming, Y/N would never let something slide quietly.  

"No, I haven't Y/N/N." He smiled despite not being able to see her.  

"James Potter don't you lie to me, I'm not an idiot. I know when something's bothering you."  

James took a deep breath and sat up, eyes opening to meet hers. "Y/N Y/L/N I swear that I am not avoiding you."  

Her eyes roamed his face, searching for any signs that something wasn't right but he remained a blank slate, brow eyes unreadable.  

"You'd tell me if something was wrong?" She asked, taking his hand and playing with his fingers.  

"Yep." He croaked, suddenly very aware of how she was sitting on his lap, pretty much cuddled up into his chest. "I um," he casually removed his hand from hers, "I need to pee." He said, pushing her away and practically running from the room.  

Y/N watched him go, confusion etched across her features.  _What's wrong with that kid_...  

"Boo." Someone whispered into her ear, shocking her so much she fell off the couch with a yelp.  

"SIRIUS!" She yelled, recognizing his bark-like laughter almost immediately.  

"How's it going, babe?" Sirius slid into the spot James had recently vacated and helped the girl up.  

"I'm worried about James." She admitted, brushing imaginary dust off her jeans. "He's been acting weird lately, has he said anything to you?"  

Sirius bit his lip in thought before shaking his head. "No, he hasn't done anything out of the ordinary. Not that I know of at least."  

"So he doesn't seem... different?"  

"Same old James." Sirius shrugged. He leaned back on the couch, hands behind his head and feet up on the coffee table.  

Y/N sighed. "I guess it must be something I did then."  

"Hey now, you don't know that!" Sirius argued, sitting up and placing a hand on her back comfortingly. "He's probably miserable over Evans turning him down for the billionth time."  

"I guess." She whispered.  

"Y/N." Sirius sighed, grabbing her face and forcing her eyes to meet his. "James loves you, okay? You're his best friend and nothing is ever going to change that."  

They were silent as Sirius stared at Y/N as if trying to make her believe his words with nothing but intense staring, neither one of them noticing that James had returned and was watching their interaction with burning eyes and a heavy heart. Y/N nodded finally, a single tear falling from her eye which Sirius wiped away with his thumb. "You guys are gonna be fine, as soon as James gets over whatever is going on with him."  

Y/N smiled and James' heart shattered into a million pieces, that was  _his_  smile. The one she never showed anyone else. "Thank you, Sirius." She whispered, reaching up to take one of his hands. Sirius smiled and gave her a quick kiss on the forehead, a completely platonic action that still set James' body alight with rage.  

_No one_ touched Y/N like that. Except him. 


	2. Something More...

"SIRIUS!" James yelled. 

The boy stopped weaving his way through the crowded corridor and turned around, eyes searching the mass of students headed to their classes until he found James. 

"PRONGS!" He called back, lifting his arm to gesture to a more secluded side corridor. Both boys manoeuvred their way through the crowd until they reached each other. 

"What's up?" Sirius asked cheerfully, a friendly smile on his face. 

 _Sirius leant forward to press a kiss to Y/N's forehead. She looked up at the boy and smiled. "Let's go to the great hall, if Remus' plan worked then I'm sure there's bound to be some Slytherins turning ridiculous shades of yellow right now."_  

 _Y/N giggled and let Sirius pull her to her feet, the two of them left the common room walking hand in hand. Neither of them noticed James slip past them, too wrapped up in their own conversation._  

James shook his head to clear his mind of the memory. "Stay away from Y/N." He demanded. "She's upset and she doesn't need you making a pass at her right now." 

Sirius' friendly expression faded away as he stepped back to allow a few second years to pass by. When the younger students were out of earshot Sirius stepped closer to James. 

"Look mate," He hissed. "I get that you're going through some shit right now but Y/N's your best fucking friend and _you're_ the reason she's so upset. She came to me because you won't talk to her anymore and I _comforted her._ I stepped in for you because you're too busy with your own bullshit to even pay attention to how your actions are affecting her and now you're accusing me of _hitting on her_? What the hell is going on with you James?" 

James flinched away from his friend. Sirius only ever used his real name when he was truly mad about something. He looked to the floor and mumbled an apology like he was a small child being scolded. 

"Apology accepted. Now tell me what's been bugging you." Sirius sighed, anger dissolving straight away. 

"You're not gonna believe this but, I think I'm in love with Y/N." He breathed out a nervous laugh and met Sirius' wide eyes, as familiar to him as his own. "No, I _know_ I'm in love with Y/N." 

Sirius blinked once. And then again. "Come again?" 

"I love her man. She's... perfect." James said dreamily, a small smile on his face as he thought of her. 

"Are you absolutely sure?" Sirius whispered, eyes gleaming with excitement. James nodded proudly and Sirius let out a celebratory whoop. "Wormtail owes me thirty knuts!" 

"I'm going to pretend that I didn't hear about you betting on my love life." 

"Right, sorry. So why are you avoiding her?" 

"Because Pads, I'm _in love with her_. What if I do something stupid and she decides she wants nothing to do with me anymore? What if I tell her and she shoots me down? What if I tell her and she actually feels the same way?" 

Sirius smacked James upside the head. "You're being stupid. Y/N has known you your whole life, she's seen you at your best and your worst and she's still hanging around you, Godric knows why. You said it yourself, she's perfect for you." 

"What do I do?" James whispered. 

Sirius threw his arm around his friend's shoulder and lead him down the now deserted corridor. "Listen well my young protégé..." 

 

* * *

 

Y/N's eyes met Peter's and she nodded once. He smiled and leaned across to grab his wand before pointing it at the room before them. The library. Full of students studying for their O.W.L.S. They'd sent out a warning to the younger students to steer clear of the library that afternoon and now it was time for the plan to jump into action. 

Peter whispered an incantation, followed by Y/N waving her own wand and Remus completing the process. 

Mere seconds later the library was in an uproar, papers began flying across the room, books seemed to develop minds of their own and started flipping to random pages and shooting across the desks, birds begain tweeting and fluttering about lazily, ducking and weaving between the chaos and snatching quills, wands and anything small enough to carry away in their grasp. 

Screaming students made wild dashes for their possessions before beelining to the exit, some of them stopping to glare at the three laughing teens at the door. 

"REAL MATURE!" 

"YOU'RE GONNA GET IT FOR THIS!" 

"Y/L/N, LUPIN, PETTIGREW!" 

"Shit it's Madam Pince." 

"Run, run, run!" Remus hissed and the three of them took off, a small group of angry students yelling insults and curses behind them. It wasn't long before the sounds of chaos were drowned out by the slapping of their shoes against the cold stone floors and their breathless, laughter. They took random turns, not stopping until they reached a hidden alcove in the trophy room. The three friends collapsed, breathing in the cold air with the all too familiar smell of metal polish that always seemed to linger in this room. 

"Y/N that was genius!" Peter wheezed, bending over to catch his breath. "A much needed break from all that studying." 

Too tired to utter a response, Y/N just managed a smile and leaned her head back against the wall. 

"You'd think," Remus panted, voice muffled due to him laying on his stomach on the cool floor. "that we'd be used to all this running by now." 

"You'd think that you'd find a better hiding spot by now." Someone laughed. James sauntered into the alcove, Sirius at his side, and stopped in front of Y/N who peered up at him curiously. 

It had been days since James had spoken to her, let alone looked at her and the way he was gazing down at her now made her skin feel like it was burning. Although that could have been from the physical exertion of running through half of Hogwarts. 

"You. Me. Hogsmede. Saturday." 

"Ew. No. Why? It's cold outside." Y/N pouted, thinking of the icy wind that flew through the castle grounds these days. 

James frowned and glanced at Sirius. "Too bad. I need to show you something." 

And then he was gone. The grand door to the trophy room shutting with a resounding bang. 

"The hell was that about?" Peter wondered aloud. 

Sirius whispered something in his ear and the boy's face lit up. "OH! _That_ thing. Y/N you definitely don't want to miss this." 

"What thing?" Remus asked, rolling onto his back to look at his friends. "You can't keep secrets from Y/N and not tell me about them." 

"James is gonn-" Sirius elbowed Peter. Peter cut of with a yelp of pain. "I'll tell you later." 

Y/N got to her feet with an annoyed huff. "I can't believe you're all ganging up on me like this. I thought we only did that to Moony." 

Sirius shrugged and, with a toss of his hair, walked away. "Wormtail! C'mon we have detention." 

Peter, after giving Y/N an awkward hug, scurried off after his friend. 

 

* * *

 

The rest of the week was full of secret conversations between the four boys, ending as soon as Y/N walked in. She'd tried cornering Peter, knowing he was the weakest link, but there always seemed to be someone with him. 

James was talking to her again but whenever she'd bring up the topic of Hogsmede he'd smile and get that glint in his eyes that only ever appeared when he was planning something big. 

That wasn't the only strange thing about James' behaviour. The way he acted around her was different. Whenever she entered the room, instead of the usual smile or nod of acknowledgement, he'd leap up and engulf her in a hug that would tie her stomach into knots. When he talked to her he stared at her so intently that the rest of the room fell away and when his eyes left her reality would come crashing back, leaving her dizzy and wanting... something. 

A few weeks ago, James taking her hand while they walked or sat together would have been normal, meaningless. Now, when he did it she seemed to feel it in her entire body. Even the smallest amount of contact with him would set her nerve endings ablaze. 

And the worst part was the way the other boys would _look_ when James and Y/N interacted. Sirius would smirk like he knew the biggest secret. Peter would seem near to bursting with the amount of excited energy he seemed to be carrying these days. Remus would look on with a sort of proud amusement, like he'd been waiting for something that had finally come. But still no one would tell her what was going on. 

It was driving her crazy. 

When Saturday finally came she was almost relieved, certain that today would provide answers to all the questions bouncing around in her head. 

Her relief was short lived when she entered the common room on her way down to the courtyard. Three out of four of the Marauders were awaiting her arrival and upon her entry Peter leapt to his feet with an excited giggle and tackled her with one of his bear hugs. 

"I can't believe it's finally here." He babbled, wiping away fake tears. "Little miss Y/L/N, you'll be a woman soon." 

Y/N's eyes widened and she was about to hold him at wandpoint until the little rat squealed. Sadly, Remus foiled all her interrogation plans by grabbing Peter by the ear and dragging him away, shaking his head and whispering angrily. 

"What in Merlin's name is going on." Y/N demanded of the remaining boy. Sirius shrugged, hands deep in his pockets. 

"No one knows what Pete talks about half the time." He mused, watching Peter finally twist free of Remus' grip only to trip over the rug and land on the floor in a crumpled heap. 

Y/N rolled her eyes as the sound of Remus' laughter drifted over to them. "Where's Prongs? I figured he'd be awake by now considering this whole thing was his idea." 

"He's waiting for you downstairs. He kept pacing the room until Remus kicked him out for being, and I quote 'too annoying for so early in the a.m.'" 

"Remus thinks everything before his first cup of coffee is too early." 

"And I agree wholeheartedly." Sirius said. Y/N laughed and, after saying her goodbyes to the boys, went off in search of James. 

 

* * *

 

James stared down at the frosty ground of the castle's courtyard. He heard Professor Slughorn's cheery voice calling out names of students who were making the trip down to Hogsmede. There were only a few students willing to brave the cold weather and they all hung around, hands shoved deep in their pockets and chattered idly while they waited. 

James himself was wrapped up in a winter coat his mother had bought him just a few weeks back and the scarf Y/N had given him for Christmas last year. Cold wind floated lazily through the courtyard and ruffled the few locks of James' hair that weren't covered by his red beanie. He reached up to impatiently brush them aside and his eyes fell on a familiar figure walking out into the cold. 

As always, the sight of her made his heart skip a beat and he forgot all about his numb fingers or the fact that he had barely slept the night before, he didn't even notice that Professor Slughorn was calling out his name until Y/N reached him. 

"Here sir!" He choked out. Y/N frowned. 

"Are you okay? You look like you're about to throw up." 

"It's nothing, I'm just hungry." He gave her what he hoped was a convincing smile. She saw right through it, of course. James was saved from the questions in her eyes by Professor Slughorn calling out to Y/N. 

She shot James a curious look before going to speak to Slughorn. 

As she walked away the sun decided to break through the ever constant grey clouds. It lit the courtyard with a weak glow. The frost covering everything sparkled like a blanket of glitter dusting. It was a beautiful morning but nowhere near as beautiful as the dazzling smile Y/N gave him when she returned to his side. 

"Ready to go?" 

James nodded, not trusting his voice, and offered her his arm which she took gladly. When she moved closer his heart started pounding. The incessant thudding in his ears was so loud he almost didn't believe that she couldn't hear it. The two slowly made their way across the courtyard. 

The other groups of students going to Hogsmede either lingered back, waiting for latecomers, or hurried on ahead, eager to get into the warmth of the Three Broomsticks. Y/N and James walked at their own pace, the frost crunching underfoot and the sound of birds chirping lazily added to the serenity of the cool morning.  

It wasn't long before the thatched cottages of Hogsmede came into view. Small homes dotted the outskirts of the village. Smoke puffed slowly from the chimneys as the families living in the village began their days. Thin layers of snow covered the roofs of the shops and houses and the windows were all frosted over. 

Most shops and cafes were only just beginning to open. Most people seemed to be heading toward the Three Broomsticks. James spotted a few giggling couples inside the cluttered Madam Puddifoot's as he and Y/N walked past. They were heading away from where most people spent their time. 

Y/N smiled when she saw their favourite shop come into view. "Are we going into Spintwitches?" 

"Unless you want to go for a swim in this weather?" He grinned down at her. "Mind you, I think it's a bit cold for skinny-dipping in the lake." 

Her eyes widened. "PADS TOLD YOU?!" 

"Pads tells me everything." James teased. "Like how _you_ were the one who stole my favourite sweater. Not nixies like you had me believe." 

Y/N tossed her hair over her shoulder. "I've no idea what you're talking about." 

"I saw you wearing it just last week, Y/N." 

"That was my sweater." 

"Where did you get it?" 

"Oh you know, a muggle store." 

"Was that store called 'James Potter's Wardrobe'?" 

"Why are you so obsessed with me?" Y/N sighed, slipping her arm out of James' and ducking into the store with James right behind her. 

Spintwitches was a warm little shop that specialised in sports goods and Quidditch gear. The space held the familiar smell of leather gear and the odd, musty smell that came with broomsticks. The smells and peaceful quiet of the store relaxed James almost straight away. 

Sirius had originally suggested that James take Y/N to Madam Puddifoot's. A suggestion that James had quickly refuted. He knew that confronting Y/N about his feelings would be much easier in their favourite store instead of a cluttered little tea shop filled with couples who didn't seem to understand anything about public indecency... 

"Jamesie?" Y/N called from within the shop. 

"Yeah?" He replied, navigating the cluttered rows of old and new equipment. 

When he found Y/N she was holding an old Quidditch uniform. Her eyes were shining and she was smiling excitedly. "What's up, buttercup?" He said. He put his arm around her waist and leant over her shoulder. 

Y/N's breath hitched. "It's Catriona McCormack's old gear from the 60s." She breathed in awe. 

James chuckled and rested his chin on her shoulder. McCormack was one of Y/N's favourite Quidditch players. She'd been the first female to ever play quidditch professionally for Scotland's team. He remembered how angry she'd gotten when Sirius had confessed that he had no idea who Catriona was. ' _SHE'S A DAMN INSPIRATION TO WOMEN EVERYWHERE!_ ' She'd screamed, then proceeded to beat him over the head with a copy of 'Quidditch Through the Ages.' 

"You should buy it." James suggested. 

Y/N shrugged and put the outfit back where she'd found it. "I could never afford it, I spent most of my pocket money on those explosive apples for the Slytherin table." 

"Get it anyway, I'll cover whatever you can't afford." He covered her mouth with his hand before she could protest. "You can pay me back later." 

She turned her head to look at him and James seemed to forget how to breathe. Her face was just an inch from his. Her Y/E/C eyes bright and mesmerising. Her cheeks and nose were still red from the cold outside. It would be so easy for him to close the distance between them. To press his lips against hers. Suddenly one inch seemed like so much space. Too much space.. Just as he was steeling himself to do it, Y/N closed the gap and then they were kissing. 

It was the most incredible moment of James' entire life. Everything seemed to fade away. All he knew was the feeling of her lips, soft against his own. 

All too soon it was over and Y/N was stumbling backwards. Her eyes were wide and panicked. "I-I'm sorry I don't know why I did that." She stuttered. Her cheeks were redder than before and James felt his own face heat up. He shook his head. For some reason he couldn't seem to remember what words were and how to use them. 

"Don't. No. Don't apologise." He pleaded, moving forward to grab her shoulders. "Never apologise. I- Godric Y/N I'm freaking in love with you," His voice lowered into a desperate whisper. "And it's scaring me. That's why I've been avoiding you. That's why I acted like a jerk. I didn't know what to do and for once I couldn't go to you for help. It was horrible. I missed you so much. I still miss you whenever you're not around and please say something. Anything. I need to know that you feel the same way." 

Y/N opened her mouth. Then closed it again. She tilted her head to the side and smirked. "You're scared of me?" She teased. 

James let out a slow breath. "Bloody terrified, love." 

Y/N smiled, her eyes roamed his face. "I do. I do feel the same way." She whispered. 

James choked out a laugh. He cupped her cheeks and kissed her again, a short soft kiss. "You mean it?" He whispered. 

"I mean it." 

"You're not just saying it so I'll buy you the Quidditch gear?" 

Y/N smiled, his favourite smile. "I mean it." 


End file.
